I think the only fair way to resolve this whole issue is to make all of the contest winners return their prize money to the NSRCA until a full investigation can be carried out. . . .
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What? . . . Whaddaya mean there was no prize money? . . . .
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Until someone comes up with some sort of machine scoring system, pattern flights will be scored by HUMANS.  When you have humans in the loop attempting to make an objective decision about an event as complicated and dynamic as a pattern flight, you have to learn to live with all of the strengths AND weaknesses that come along with that.  You can either decide to work on the POSITIVE human aspect, or spiral down into all of the NEGATIVE human aspects of judging.
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The negative human aspects can be exhibited by both the judge AND the competitor.  If you're at a contest standing behind the judges coming up with your own scores for someone else's flight, and then running around complaining to everyone about it, then you've totally gone off the reservation about what your experience at a pattern contest should be.  It also ruins everyone else's experience having to get embroiled with all of the conspiracy theories, back stories, and Who-Did-What-To-Whom and how it resulted in you Zeroing your snap roll.  Either redirect that energy back to more practice time or go fly Pylon - there is no bias with a stopwatch.
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As for friends scoring friends at a pattern contest. . . . Wow, what can I say?  When it is the same 20-30 guys showing up at a contest year after year it is going to be darn near impossible for the CD to work out a judging schedule if that's the new criteria.  I can see it at the pilots meeting - "OK, I need to get a list of everyone who has not had ANY dealings whatsoever with ANYONE here at the contest and is a qualified judge."  I could see it back in the days of 200 competitors, but not anymore, there just aren't enough pattern flyers. 
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Instead of looking at "friends scoring friends" as a weakness of the system, you're much better off embracing it as a strength.  Try to get involved and join that circle of friends and you'll find that your enjoyment of the pattern season will be much greater than if you're always trying to pick apart the weaknesses.  Its like arguing balls and strikes with the umpire - why bother going to the game if that's what you want to do?  You have to remember why you got into pattern in the first place, to improve your flying NOT your complaining and arguing skills.
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A good friend will give you a Zero on your snap, and then tell you how to fix it AFTER the contest . .
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